1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image pickup apparatus for automatically taking an image in a self-timer mode and an automatic shooting method using the same.
2. Description of the Background Art
Some of conventional image pickup apparatuses perform a self-timer shooting so that the apparatuses automatically pick up an image of a subject field after a certain countdown period of time has elapsed since an operator depressed a shutter release key of the apparatus.
For example, Japanese patent laid-open publication No. 51188/1994 discloses an automatic focusing camera designed to perform a self-timer shooting in such a manner that before the activation of the self-timer mode, automatic focus (AF) distance measurement and AF calculation are conducted and a lens of camera is driven under the AF control so as to bring the lens in its in-focus condition, and after the passage of the self-timer period, the AF distance measurement is carried out again to obtain a focal difference from the last focus position for determining whether or not the focal difference is larger than a predetermined value. When the focal difference is less than or equal to the predetermined value, the shutter of the camera is released to pick up an image. Otherwise, it is determined that the camera is not in the appropriate condition for shooting due to, e.g. the presence of an obstacle between the camera and the subject, so that an alarm is given to inform the presence of the obstacle and the shutter release operation is cancelled. Consequently, even if an obstruction exists between the camera and the subject during the shutter release operation, an undesired image will not be taken.
Another Japanese patent laid-open publication No. 360138/1992 discloses a camera, in which shutter release determination means determines whether a shutter is released by an internal operation or by means of an incoming release signal, and on the basis of the determination result, switching means selects a low power consumption mode only when the shutter release is performed in response to the incoming release signal. Thus, wasteful battery consumption can be restrained during the release operation by the incoming release signal.
In such self-timer shooting, a photographer, who is also a person to be photographed, preferably stays and waits in an area to be photographed and strikes the best pose to a camera within a countdown period of time of the timer. The conventional image pickup apparatuses may, however, execute the automatic shooting before the photographer gets ready for being shot or he/she can hold his/her best pose, so that an intended image cannot be taken.
Furthermore, even when the cameras themselves move during the self-timer shooting mode or the photographer notices an error in camera setting, the camera may proceed to automatic shooting, thus resulting in the waste of its battery power.
In addition, when the conventional cameras execute the automatic shooting in response to an external signal fed by a remote control, the cameras can turn off their display upon receipt of the external signal to reduce the power consumption. However, once the display is turned off by the external signal, the photographer, when wanting to reconfirm the display, cannot confirm the display any more.